Electric gas stove lighter



' Nov. 10, 1931.

R. c'. LE JEUNE ELECTRIC GAS STOVE LIGHTER Filed Nov. 18. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l 3nventor R. 6! Le June attorney- Nov. 10, 1931. R. c. LE JEEJNE E,83l,l26

ELECTRIC GAS STOVE LIGHTER Filed Nov. 18 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.

ZSnncntor E. G Le June (IttornegS.

Nov. 10, 1931. R. c LE JEUNE ELECTRIC GAS STOVE LIGHTER Filed Nov 18. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 3111 011101 E. a Z6 Jeane Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mac-r310 GAS s'rovn LIGHTER Application filed November 18, 1929. Serial No. 408,076.

The present invention relates to improvements in electric lighter for gas stoves, and has for an object to provide an improved electric spark igniter in which the operation 8 of the spark producing unit will be falthful and efiicient.

Another object of the invention resides in providing an improved handle and switch construction, whereby the implement may be manipulated with facility and the circuit closed and opened readily.

A further object of the invention hes in providing an improved lighter having an improved interior handle construction, whereby the parts are compactly arranged and disposed for ready accessibility and removal in case repair or the replacement of parts becomes necessary.

With the foregoing and other ob ects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the clain'rappended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein hke symbols .refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a 011'- cuit arrangement employed accordmg to the present invention. Figure 2 is a side view of the improved electric gas lighter shown in connection with a gas stove and wall plug.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the improved device.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 44 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is asimilar view taken on the line 55 in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a cross section taken on the line 6 6 in Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a similar view taken on the line 77 also in Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side View of the rear portionof the handle showing the plug in place.

Figure 9 isa similar view with the plug only partially inserted.

Figure 10 is a plan view of a lock washer employed.

Iigure 11 is a perspective view of the same, an

Figure 12 is also a perspective view of the supporting device for the lighter.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, 15 designates a gas burner, and 16 represents the electrode of the gas lighting device. The rod 17 supports the electrode 16 and is coupled with a plug 18, which forms one contact member of the switch, the second contact member 19 being an arm or other flexible member yieldingly urged by the spring20 out of the contacting position. The movable contact 19 is connected by a lead 21 to a core 22 extending through a coil 23. One end 24 of the 'coil'is connected to the opposite end of the core 22. The opposite end of the coil 23 is connected to a metallic contact plate 24. This contact plate 24 is engaged by a yieldable spring contact finger 25 connected by the lead 26 to the plus side or a circuit.

The various parts are preferably housed within a handle or casing 28 made of fiber, rubber or other appropriate insulating material and preferably having a tapered forward portion 29 to approximately blend with the projecting portion of the rod 17. The forward part of the casing 28 is bored, as indicated at 30, to receive slidably and snugly therethrough the rod 17, the inner end 31 of which is threaded and received into athreaded opening in the plug 18. This plug may be rounded in section, as shown in Figure 5, but it is preferably elongated in the section shown in Figure 4, which is taken at approximately right angles to Figure 5, the elongated portion of the plug fitting snugly into a correspondingly formed socket 32 which will avoid any rotation of the plug 18 with the rod 17 whereby the rod 17 may be screwed into the plug and unscrewed therefrom by simply manipulating the outer end thereof.

In Figure 4 the movable contact member 19 is shown as consisting of a. flexible spring having its lower end together with the adjacent end of the core 22 secured by a screw or other fastening 33 to the base 34 of a recess 35 made in the forward portion of the handle and opening through the upper portion thereof, whereby to expose the operating lever 36 fulcrummed at 37, the fulcrum pin being threaded as indicated at 38 in F i re 3 into the handle member at the far si e of the lever 36 and having a grooved head 39 for receiving a screw driver or other tool, whereby the fulcrum pin 37 may be removed to permit subsequent removal of the lever 36. The lever 36 is formed with an arched milled hump 40 for engagement by the thumb, finger or other portion of the hand in the act of sliding along the handle or in the act of grasping such handle. The lever 36 is positioned so as to engage and move the spring flexible contact arm 19 down against the contact plug 18, whereby to close the circuit. If desirable the contact arm 19' may be brazed, soldered, welded or otherwise secured to the core 22. This core 22 extends through an aperture 41 made in a partition wall 42 extending transversely across the casing between the recess 55 and the chamber 44 which receives the coil 23, the heads of which are indicated at 44 and 45. The plate 24 is of metal or other appropriate material and it is placed against a disc 46 of insulating material. The plate is provided with a rim portion 47 extending over the peripheral edge of the disc 46 for the purpose of hearing against the lead 48 from the coil 23, Also a ring flange 49 extends inwardly from the rim 47 upon the side of the disc 46 opposite the contact plate 24, whereby the rim and plate are clamped upon the disc and made a unit with the disc.

The insulating disc 46 is provided with a depression 50 in its face adjacent the coil to receive the rounded centering end of the core 22. The spring finger 25 which bears against the plate 24 is secured as by a screw or other fastenin 51 to the inner end of a plug 52. The lead 26 enters through an opening 53 in the plug 52 and is secured to the same screw or binding post 51. A spring device 54 may extend from the plug 52 if desired for the pulgpose of protecting the lead or cable 26.

ow referring more particularly to Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11, the plug 52 is shown as having a thread-'55 of a wide pitch to facilitate the engagement of the plug in the socket 56 of a handle end which is provided with a groove of a similar pitch. A knurled ring portion 57 is preferably made upon the head of the pl which is wider than the threaded portion 0 the plug body to take against the end of the handle 28. A lock washer, of the construction shown more particularly in Figures 10 and 11 surrounds the body portion of the plug and is adapted to becompressed between the end of the handle .28 and the knurled head 57 of the plug. This washer consists of a ring or body portion 58 of metal or other suitable material having the outwardly pressed beads 59 and 60 extending in spaced relation radially of the ring and adapted to enter and interlock with notches 61 of the handle end.

The ring 58 is also formed with a bowed portion 62 lying laterally of the perimeter of the ring whereby to be compressed by the action of securing the plug tightly into the casing. The action of the plug will tend to straighten out the bowed portion 62, which will react yieldingly upon the head of the plug and set up a tension between the screw threads of the plug and the handle whereby to frictionally avoid the backward rotation and disengagement of t..e plug.

Referring more particularly to Figure 12, 63 designates a plate having openings 64 to receive fastenings whereby the device may be applied to a wall or other support. Spring arms 65 are extended forwardly from opposite edges of the plate. These arms converge toward their free ends and they are provided with beads 66 pressed toward one another and with outwardly flaring jaws 67 beyond the beads for receiving thereagainst the rounded handle 28 and guiding the handle between the jaws which will spring outwardly to retain the same, the beads 67 interlocking over the rounded handle and preventing the device from escaping from the holder except when forcibly removed therefrom.

In the use of the device, the implement may be plugged into an ordinary outlet socket as shown in Figure 2 and is applied to the gas range as shown in this figure. The gas is turned on, the switch button 36 is pressed, and the toothed electrode 16 scratched against the burner of the stove, so as to create a spark which will ignite the burner.

The plug, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, that inserts into the wall socket, has only one connection to the wire 26. When the plug is pushed into the wall socket and button on lighter is pressed, if the gas is turned on and light electrode scratched on the burner and sparks do not occur, reverse the position of the plug and the live wire is found, the lighter being then ready for use. It will be more convenient to leave the plug in position, because the lighter will be ready for use at all times.

So far as the coil is concerned, only a certain quantity and size of consta-ntan special wire is used. Precisely 72 feet of this wire is used, which is insulated with insulating electrical paint or compound between each layer; also a strip of asbestos papers is placed on the outside of the coil to keephandle of lighter cool. This coil is wound tightly on a brass core, and the core is not movable. Approximately two layers of asbestos will be made to cover the coil, and thereupon it is illiserted through the hollow end of the han- There are three important points to the invention:

(1) The lighter can be inserted into any wall, or drop cord without unnecessary wire or ground connection.

(2) Special alloy resistance wire of special size and length is used.

(3) The plug inserted into the wall is called a live wire finder. B reversing same, this live wire will be locate and lighter can be used indefinitely in said position.-

The plug 52 is easily removed by a quarter or half turn and will withdraw with it the spring contact finger 25. If desired the core or plunger 22 may bemovably mounted in the coil, and held by the set screw 33 at one end and by the disc 46 at the other. It is often desirable to remove the disc 46 for the purpose of renewing the same or for renewing the metal covering 24 thereon; in which case if the core 22 is movable, the set screw 33 may be withdrawn and the disc 46 punched out toward the plug end by the manipulation of the core 22; access being readily had to the core b first removing the lever 36.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claim What is claimed is An electric lighter for gas stoves comprising a handle having a chamber therein, and a recess communicating with said chamber and opening laterally, and a bore at one end,

a coil mounted in said chamber, a core in said coil having one end extending into said recess, one end of said coil being connected to said core, an insulating disc having a depression to receive the other end of said core, a metallic plate over one side of said disc and a flange extending over the other side of the disc with a rim between the plate and flange extending over the periphery of the disc, a conductor having one end secured to said coil and its other end bearing against said rim,

a removable plug mounted in'the handle, a yieldable contact finger carried by the plug for engaging said plate, a toothed electrode slidably carried in the bore of said handle, a spring contact arm in said recess, means for removably securing said first mentioned end of the core and said arm to the base of said recess, and a lever removably fitted in'said recess for depressing said contact arm. RANDOLPH CHARLES LE JEUNEJ 

